Archive for the ‘Piccadilly Line’ Tag

The sun now rises early enough for there to be a scattering of natural light by the time you reach the West End on the first Sunday Tube of the morning. Still, there are hardly any tourists out for another hour or so (making this the ideal time to amble through the normally packed pavements of Soho). These streets would otherwise be some of the hardest to manage of the TfL Run Project.

I made my start at Green Park Station, emerging across from the park, proper.

Green Park

It’s Valentine’s Day Wednesday (when I’m finally getting around to writing this entry). The Cupid of Piccadilly Circus is looking for victims. Or, is this a monument to Lionel Shriver?

Piccadilly Circus Station (and the fiery pits of hell) down here.

Piccadilly Circus

I have never noticed this Swiss clock at Leicester Square, but unlike tourists I have places to go and things to do and the manners to recognise that others on the street might also do. Time-based irony, there.

Leicester Square and Covent Garden Stations are remarkably close. It takes more steps to get to and from the platforms of these stations than it does to walk, at street level, between the two.

Leicester Square

Covent Garden

Another sight previously unseen is this majestic Masonic Temple, nearly over to Holborn Station:

Holborn

This is one of the two oldest Pizza Express franchises (one of the oldest two has live jazz Sunday afternoon, almost making the dreadful pizzas forgivable). I like the topiary aspect of this building:

It has been ages since I last posted a Spectacular London Puke, but this one at Russell Square has good texture and coverage. Bravo (or brava).

Russell Square and King’s Cross/St Pancras were done just before 8 am.

Russell Square

King’s Cross

The Piccadilly Line is now complete:

A short jog to Euston to start a section of the Overground:

Euston

It is a long haul to South Hampstead but you can do it through or very near Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill (which is nice). Kilburn High Road, and Queen’s Park are a bit closer goals, thereafter.

South Hampstead

Kilburn High Road

Queen’s Park

Manageable in about four or five runs on the Northern, Waterloo & City, Jubilee, and DLR here is the “remainders” overlay:

Even two weeks ago, this run project seemed too big to finish; but, as I prepped for the cold and potentially rainy run ahead this Saturday, the remaining trails seemed entirely tractable. I managed to hit all but a few planned segments today (due in large part to an ugly crowd inside the single pub stop).

I took an early — but not pre-dawn, this time — train to Stratford to start.

Stratford

The morning sun lit my favourite and least favourite structures on the Olympic Park grounds: the velodrome and the ugly knot.

I encountered a bit of wall art and was so taken by some of the more professional bits that I didn’t frame the shot to tell who it is, exactly, who has herpes (2nd pic). So much for my Public Service credentials.

Hackney Wick Station is under refurbishment conditions. Homerton looks like a recreation centre in the States:

Hackney Wick

Homerton

Moving along, a glint of the glazing on this much smaller wall art at the Alfred Heath Centre caught my eye. There are a couple more of these hanging there, as well.

A bit of attention to the path got me to the stations at Hackney Central, Dalston Kingsland (despite having to negotiate the market leading up to it), Canonbury, then Highbury and Islington.

Hackney Central

Dalston Kingsland

Canonbury

Highbury & Islington, 1st Pass

The original plan — to make a loop then pick up the Overground out to Gospel Oak from here — was still in place but was eventually scrapped in the interest of time. So, this would be the last of my Overground segments for the day.

Following the path to King’s Cross/St Pancras for a segment of the Victoria Line, I spotted the station from the east side, close to the front. Running north along that wall, I took one last look back at it before continuing along the Piccadilly Line:

King’s Cross (first encounter)

King’s Cross, last look back

“I am the diamond in the dirt that ain’t been found.”

Loved the Cally Bridge but the station doesn’t count on today’s run. Poop.

A couple of years ago, we were spending a weekend in London and I went out for a pre-dawn run. I get lost with a map, compass, and good light so I was doomed that morning. I went past HMP Pentonville that night, as well…nice to finally get oriented.

With another cancer surgery scheduled for late afternoon, I hurried out for Saturday’s TfL Run before dawn (knowing that I wouldn’t feel like running the next day even if I didn’t mind the risk to the sutures or the disgusting state the bandages would be in after a few miles).

Starting from Notting Hill Gate, I headed toward Kensington High Street, where the initial segments (that count) started. I prepped to run in front of this weird, rebar elephant then dashed off:

High Street Kensington

From there, the only segment of the Circle Line for the day ended at Gloucester Road Station:

At Kensington Court, an architectural feature crossed my field of vision:

With the sun not really up yet, the camera affected a long exposure time, so accept my apologies for the poor quality of the zoomed in detail clip:

Having already completed the Gloucester Road to South Kensington segment of multiple lines, I had to travel it once more to start the next segment of the Piccadilly Line:

Gloucester Road

South Kensington

One of the nice things about this project is the way it forces one to approach some stations multiple times from different vantages. The above entrance to South Kensington Station has some really nice brass signage.

On the way to Knightsbridge Station, I was struck by the beauty of the V&A Museum in the sunrise. I had to piece together the panorama from multiple shots, though (there are only two buses in this photo).

Knightsbridge

The next segments started way over at Regent’s Park Station, so I had a bit of a trundle across Hyde Park to do. My planned route was plowed under so I skirted the park a bit:

The rationale behind picking up the Bakerloo Line at this most remote end was to a) finish the Bakerloo this go; b) pick up the section of the Northern Line between Charing Cross and Warren Street immediately thereafter; and, c) to bounce off Warren Street into the Victoria Line’s southernmost remaining section.

Regent’s Street

No one wants Trump here. Even the conservative Evening Standard is mocking him (above, at Regent’s Street Station). As I continued south, I encountered the Pharell Williams statue (a differentially less ghastly American import):

As with South Kensington, earlier, I usually don’t see this façade of Oxford Street Station:

Oxford Circus

Piccadilly Circus

Charing Cross

Piccadilly Circus and Charing Cross fell and I took a breather for some of the iced tea I was carrying around to rehydrate with. That was the last of the Bakerloo Line:

And, the inflection point for the Northern Line segments back to Warren Street:

The early, winter morning foot traffic was minimal resulting in a fairly pleasant journey to Warren Street via Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road, and Goodge Street (three of the goofiest named stations on the map).

Leicester Square

Tottenham Court Road

Goodge Street

Warren Street

Before I realised that the surgery this afternoon would sideline me for a few days, this next bit along the Victoria Line was all I had planned for the day. The rest was merely added to pad the last run (for a few days) to a respectable distance. I headed south:

With a second pass by Oxford Circus (at yet another view I rarely get), Green Park, Victoria, and Pimlico Stations:

Oxford Circus, again

Green Park

Victoria

Pimlico

The air handling structure outside Pimlico is pretty science-fiction-y:

Vauxhall Station is not pretty:

Vauxhall

An odd memorial near Stockwell Station:

Stockwell

This is part of a huge skate/bike park as you enter Brixton. There is a shitload of good graffiti but by the time I rolled past there were some kids out and I didn’t want to be the middle-aged derelict photographing young boys. This is probably good enough, though:

So, there I was (no shit), sitting in the Beehive in Brixton with a pint of mild before me. I planned, after quaffing, to pick up some items in the market then head home with my last station photo as I entered the Tube; but, when I checked email, Jackie had sent an urgent note that my surgery was being moved up to 1 pm and I needed to head back that way post-haste. Bugger. In my hurry, I almost forgot to take the shot and grabbed this one just as the doors were closing:

Quite a dent in central London remaining sections, today. Here is the overlay that ‘greys out’ the System map with regards to the tasks still to do:

Substantial, but realisable. Here it is combined with the System Map through this run:

Windy and a bit cool Friday afternoon, I was racing against sunset and slalom-ing through inexplicable crowds of tourists on my way from the Shepherd’s Bush coach stop to Elephant & Castle. I by-passed many an attractive pub on the journey, too, but probably saved myself £5.80 per pint on the way. The start was chosen to pick up the last western segment of the District Line from Kensington Olympia (3rd time at this bleak station) to the always pretty (despite the crowds) Earl’s Court:

Kensington Olympia

Barons Court

At Earls Court, the Piccadilly Line merged as far as South Kensington (with the Circle Line joining at Gloucester Road):

Gloucester Road Station is actually 2 stations although the older part is now just some shops.

Gloucester Road

Gloucester Road, the old bits

The Circle Line stayed with the District Line until I veered south across the Thames at Westminster:

I had an otherwise funny conversation with Doug Stanhope in Tucson (during which he insisted on showing me a disturbing video of a Mexican prostitute on his phone) years before I knew he was a big deal. Since then, a hasher I know there has made friends with him. Not that Stanhope Gardens has fuck all to do with either of them, but discarded Christmas trees seems a likely metaphor if you are clutching at straws after this segue down Memory Lane:

South Ken Station also bears two facades but experience with it tells me that internally it has longer pedestrian tunnels than the distance to walk to any of the adjacent stations on District, Piccadilly, or Circle Lines.

South Kensington

South Ken, old bits

Bela Bartok stands watch outside:

On the way to Sloane Square, the outstanding Michelin House appeared before me. Once the tyre manufacturer’s London HQ, it now acts as serviced office suites. The window mosaic above the Michelin Man holding a cocktail glass of nuts and bolts says “Nunc Est Bibendum” or “Now Is The Time To Drink” (sound advice):

Sloane Square

I didn’t have a Sharpie with me (and the crowds were oppressive) but the correct graffito for this play is, “So was mine”:

Except for a surge of Chinese tourists, later, I mostly escaped the crowds after Victoria.

Victoria

Happily, I crossed paths with this tribute to Henry Purcell on my way to St James’ Park Station:

Or, should that be “St James’s Park Station?” That spurious/bonus S on your signage is grammatically incorrect, TfL. Tsk.

St James Park

Ten minutes earlier and the shadow would’ve been at the base, making this a postcard shot:

the abbey

Westminster

At Westminster Station, I faced a choice between continuing to Embankment or veering south now. The first option would have been tidier but the crowds were so heavy on Westminster Bridge and along the river that I opted to follow one segment of the Jubilee Line just to get through them as soon as possible:

Waterloo Station is beautiful at the front. From this side, not so much:

Waterloo

The final dash along the southernmost two segments of the Bakerloo Line ensued.

Lambeth North

Elephant and Castle

Now a little after 4 pm (Friday is always POET’S Day, but I’m also comp-timing the days I came in during the Xmas break), I headed to the 6 Yard Box which was still closed (despite posted opening time of 4 pm and someone milling about inside) even after I had a hoppy pint of Meantime Lager at Long Wave next door.

We had enough wine for Christmas, but not enough GOOOOOOD wine so I combined the daily run with a stop at a branch of Majestic. There’s one of these in Ruislip a few miles from the house but there were some loose ends of the Central and Piccadilly Lines to make up on the TfL Run Project down toward Ealing and I opted to do it there, instead.

Here’s my chosen exit from Hanger Lane Station:

Hanger Lane

The Ghost of Christmas Eve Eve Yet to Come brought me either to my grave or to Imperial College (or, they may be one and the same):

Still under repairs, North Acton Station has an unimpressive entrance:

North Acton

Yet more Christmas appeared:

On Noël Road, this massive church looks more gothic than most Anglican houses:

While West Acton Station is entirely utilitarian:

West Acton

Speaking of utilitarian, I had to stop to pee at Ealing Broadway so I nailed the photo from the platform on my way back out:

Ealing Broadway

Down to Ealing Common and back up to North Ealing were easier with the excess water weight gone:

Ealing Common

North Ealing

From there, I made my way west to the Majestic and, laden with 6 bottles for the feast, I ran much slower and more carefully to get a beer. My first try was at the British version of Zwarte Piet, but the Black George was not yet open for the day:

Eventually, the 3rd bar I tried, the Castle Bar, was open and I got my refreshments. On my way from there to the last Station (Park Royal), I spotted this neighbourhood mosaic:

The last mile-and-a-half was brutal and I walked as much as jogged (and slowly, even then).

Park Royal

Just a few miles left to finish the Central Line:

And, not too many more than that for the Piccadilly:

I think the Network map is probably more than a quarter and maybe as much as a third done, now:

I caught the bus to South Harrow to do this run in the reverse order of my original plan because I wanted to pick up a Christmas Tree on the final bit back to the house.

The sun was out but it was fucking cold and the Sudbury Stations sit in kind of bleak neighbourhoods:

South Harrow

Sudbury Hill

More of a prison conduit than a rail crossing, this is typical of the public structures around here:

On the away-from-Wembley side of Sudbury Town, the neighbourhoods seemed a little less hostile but the trip to Alperton and Park Royal is pretty industrial. Reminds me a bit of Buford Highway in Atlanta.

Sudbury Town

Alperton

Park Royal

Leaving the Piccadilly Line, I started the Central Line leg at Hanger Lane Station a couple hundred meters away.

Hanger Lane

On the way to Perivale, it seems that Vanguard has pulled out the crane again and replaced the giant TARDIS with St Nick:

The Hoover Building has undergone a long refurbishment and the scaffolding has only been down a couple of weeks. The hoarding is still up but you can really start to appreciate its splendor:

Not to be outdone, the Lloyd’s bank across the street is also spectacular:

And, Perivale and Greenford Stations also use mid-20th Century style well (although Northolt, where the TfL portion of the run finished, is bleakly utilitarian):

Perivale

Greenford

Northolt

From there, it was a couple of miles to Homebase to buy my tree and a fairly slow mile from there to trot home with it. Homemade blackberry liqueur assisted the decorating:

Jackie returned to the UK Thursday morning after 3 weeks setting her mom up in an assisted-living apartment and closing down the house for sale. A day or two is always a nice change, but more than that and the longing for one another’s company intensifies minute-by-minute.

But, the aeroplane only travels as fast as it travels so I spent the morning ahead of her arrival ticking off Piccadilly Line segments on the TfL Run Project.

This is not as easy as the others and I had to fudge the rules a little. Hounslow Central, Hounslow West, and Hatton Cross are straightforward stations to spot. But, there is no pedestrian access to the Tube stop for Terminals 1, 2, and 3. So, the photo on this leg of the journey is just aimed toward T3 at some point between Hatton Cross and T4:

Hounslow Central

Hounslow West

Hatton Cross

Towards Terminals 1, 2, and 3 (no pedestrian access)

Ironically, the driver of this car would have been allowed to reach T1/2/3 only a few moments before this parking mishap:

Terminal 4 was likewise difficult to access as there are no pedestrian paths the last portion of the journey. I ran past some coppers sitting in a car along the way and they didn’t try to redirect me, so I took it to mean I was okie-dokie for this segment.

Terminal 4

On the Bath Road leg of the journey (I didn’t feel the need to re-shoot Hatton Cross since T4 has a direct connection to T1/2/3), I just picked up the nearest-to-the-entrance road sign for the Tube Stop check-off: